Barn Notes: Wed. June 8

ARLINGTON’S RECORD DAILY DOUBLE DOUBLED BY DIALING 9-11An Arlington Park’s record daily double of $3,835 – established on July 5, 1939, and listed as such in Arlington’s 2011 media guide – fell by the wayside big-time 72 years later when a daily double of $7,857 lit up the tote board after Sunday’s fifth race.

One ticket, sold through a simulcast outlet in Canada, took down the entire pool – ironically a 9-11 combination – although the sole winner of the wager presumably required no emergency medical services after the price was posted.

Sunday’s record daily double began when Sugar Daddy Stable’s Charbourg, trained by Manny Perez and ridden by Julio Felix, proved clearly best in Sunday’s fourth race for a win price of $152 based on a $2 wager. That, incidentally, was the largest straight mutuel posted so far during the current racing season.

In Sunday’s fifth race ANJ Farms Marengo’s Double Jack, trained by Gary Delong and ridden by Jerry La Sala, made the pace and continued willingly late to prove clearly best with a $50.40 win mutuel to complete the record combination.

Felix, who finished 15th in last summer’s Arlington standings while hanging his tack locally for the first time, is now in the 10th spot so far at the current session. During the winter, Felix posted his 100th and 101st stakes wins on Illinois Champions Day at Hawthorne.

La Sala, who began riding at Arlington in 1982, is now on the cusp of 300 wins at the local oval after registering his 299th lifetime Arlington win aboard Double Jack.

Coincidentally, Arlington trainer Wayne Catalano, who has captured the last six training championships at the local oval, saddled Quarter B. Farm’s Classy Ghost to win Sunday’s sixth race with Seth Martinez in the irons. That mare registered an unusually high $38.60 win price for Arlington’s runner-up among the all-time leaders in the local standings.

Rivelli had led the Arlington standings by himself since saddling a double on Arlington’s opening day May 6. In addition to Becker, Rivelli is also the only other Arlington conditioner to have posted a triple here this season.

Becker and Rivelli had each saddled 14 winners through Sunday, while newcomer Gennadi Dorochenko was their closest pursuer in third position with nine wins through Sunday.

Becker’s Sunday threesome also gave owner William Stiritz a triple which began in the opener with Zap’em, ridden by Corey Nakatani, continued in the featured eighth with Zoebear, ridden by Eddie Perez, and concluded in Sunday’s finale with Honour First, who had Chris Emigh aboard.

Nakatani, originally named on all three horses, seceded a riding triple when he took off the rest of his mounts after an incident leaving the gate in Sunday’s fourth race.

Perez, who substituted for Nakatani in the feature, also visited the winner’s circle aboard Redbob Farm’s Phanton Star in the second race for trainer Dale Bennett.

Jockey Seth Martinez also posted a riding double Sunday, winning the sixth on Quarter B. Farm’s Classy Ghost for Wayne Catalano and coming right back to the winner’s circle in the seventh aboard Miracle Logistics’ Harem Dancer for trainer Tammy Domenosky.

That all-Martinez double paid $233.40. Martinez was seventh in the standings at the conclusion of Sunday’s program.